Rubber boot, shoe, galosh, sandal, &amp;c.



W. C. BELKNAP. RUBBER BOOT, SHOE, GALOSH, SANDAL, c.

APPLICATION EILED FEB. 1. 1920.

UNITED STATES WILBER C. BELKNA?, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROBERTE.

PATENT OFFICE.

MILLER, INC.,

0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RUBBER BOOT, SHOE, GALOSH, SANDAL, &C.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application led February 7, 1920. Serial No. 357,047.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILBER C. BELKNAP, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Boots,Shoes, Galoshes, Sandals, Sac., of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to rubber boots, shoes, galoshes, sandals, etc.,having particular reference to the heel construction thereof. Theparticular object of the invention is to provide an improved heel forfoot wear of this character, which will have increased resiliency andwhich will effectually prevent slipping of the heel on the surfacewalked upon.

To this end the heel is constructed with a central depressible portion,having an upper surface adapted to be depressed by the weight of thewearer, the pressure being transmitted to the elevated position of theheel, either direct or through an intermediate layer of fiexiblelmaterial, the latter arrangement being preferred in most cases.

The lower or surface contact face of the heel is provided, on thatportion thereof outwardly opposite the inner elevated portion, withmeans to cause the heel to more effectually engage, or grip the surfacewalked upon to prevent slipping of the foot.

As here shown, this arrangement consists of the inner depressibleportion referred to and a diamond-shaped recess, outwardly opposite theinner portion` and occupied by a gripping tread surface adapted to beprojected outwardly by the weight of the wearer on the inner depressiblepart of the heel to firmly engage the surface with which the heel is incontact.

The special tread feature may also be applied to the sole of the boot orshoe, that is to say, it may be applied to both the heel and sole, or toeither heel or sole. The special tread will act eifectually in all casesto prevent slipping of the foot.

The projectable tread surface may have any suitable configurationsthereon to meet the objects of the invention. As here shown thearrangement consists of a series of inverted miniature pyramids arrangedin parallelism in the shape of a diamond occupying the diamond-shapedrecess above referred to.

lVith respect to the outwardly projeetable tread surface, and generallywith respect to the inner .depressible portion also, the presentinvention is similar to the improved rubber heel shown in Patent No.1,324,993. issued to me December 16th, 1919. l

In my earlier invention the heel is of a detached type adapted to benailed or otherwise secured to a leather, or other hard heel, after theboot or shoe is made. With the nailing of the rubber heel on the leatherheel the inner part of the rubber heel is brought permanently intocontact with a hard inner layer of the leather heel and is thereforedepressed and the gripping tread surface is projected outwardly andcaused to project substantially beyond the normal tread line of theheel, as explained in detailv and for the purposes stated in my patentreferred to.

In the present invention the improved tread has similar functions withrespect to the action of its gripping surface, the grip'- ping treadbeing projected outwardly by an inner elevated depressible portion,which receives the direct pressure of the weight of the wearer, beingeither in direct contact with the heel or sole of the foot, or havingonly a layer of flexible material interposed therebetween.

A characteristic of both my present and earlier inventions consists ofthe inner raised depressible portion and the outer recess occupied bythe gripping tread which is adapted to be projected outwardly beyond thenormal tread line of the heel or sole to more effectually engage thesurface walked upon.

These features, while shown in both cases in a preferred form ofconstruction, consisting of a generally cone-shaped inner raised portionoccupying a recess in the inner surface of the heel or sole, and theconfigurated gripping tread occupying the recess in their outer facesand coperating one with the other as herein described, may, of course,be varied as to form and arrangement without departing from theprinciple of the invention or the stated purposes thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,the present invention is shown in one formof preferred construction for illustrative purposes.

In the drawings;

Figure l is a side elevation of a common style of rubber, shoe or galoshwith the heel and sole embodying my invention shown in verticallongitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a view of the bottom yof the heel and sole;

Figs. 3 to 6 are detail views showing various shapes of the depressibleportion of the tread. Y

As shown in Fig. 1, the heel is preferably made integrally Vwith thesole slab 2, but may, of course, consist primarily of a separate partsecured to the sole by vulcanizing, or in any suitable manner.

The heel as above generally described consists of the main body 1,having an inner central portion 3, raised from the body of the heel andadapted to receive the direct pressure of the weight of the wearer. Thedepression of the part 3 thus caused results in projecting the centralportion of the heel outwardly beyond the normal tread surface of theheel.

The outer portion of the heel thus affected consists of a recess 4,occupied by a tread portion 5, the surface of which normally, or whenthe part 3- is not depressed, is substantially flush with the main treadsurface 6 of the heel, but which projects substantially beyond the maintread surface when the part 3 is depressed by the weight of the wearerof the boot or shoe.

It will be seen therefore that the projected Vpart of the heel willsustain relatively a greater portion of the weight than the main body ofthe heel and that the central tread, therefore, will grip the surfacewalked upon more firmly than the outer portions of the tread surface. l

This is the main purpose of the invention--to centralize or concentratethe weight upon the projected portion of the heel to increase thepressure distributed over its tread surface'. To make the contacteffective to prevent slipping of the heel` the surface of the projectedtread may be provided with any suitable configuration to produce agripping or non-slipping contact between the tread and the surfaceengaged thereby. As here shown the configuration is in the form of aseries of inverted miniature pyramids arranged in parallel. rows 1n theform of a dia- `mond and occupying a diamond-shaped recess 7 in thebottomof the heel.

The recess 7 and a corresponding recess 8 on the inner side `of the heelserve to reduce the thickness of the heel intermediate the depressionsand therefore to cause the inner tread to be more readily projectedoutwardlyby depression of the inner part 3.

As here showny a flexible insole or heel pad 9 is used preferably Vtocover the inner surface of the heel, which provides an even or slightlyconcave surface Vfor the bottom of the heel of the foot, and actsl todirectly transmit the pressure of weight on the heel to the part 3 andthus to the gripping tread surface of the outer heel.

The gripping tread applied to the sole of the boot is substantially thesame as applied to the heel. The inner depressible portion 10corresponds in construction and function to the part 3 of the heel, andthe features l1, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 to the corresponding features ofthe heel.

It will be obvious that more than one of the treads may be applied tothe sole of the boot arranged relative to each other in any suitablemanner. The action of the treads in walking will be similar to theaction of the same in the heel. lVhen the weight of the wearer is on thesole of the boot the tread will be forced down and will be caused tohave a firm contact or grip on the walking surface and thus preventslipping of the foot,

The modified constructions shown in Figs. 3 to 6 of the treads havereference to the shape of the depressible cushions only, and do noteffect any material change in the action of the treads.

Y The construction here shown embodies the main features of the improvedheel shown in my earlier patent, differing therefrom only in respect tothe novel features herein described. The heels have come into extensiveuse in this and foreign countries and are commercially known as the.diamond grip quality tread. 4 y

y Havingthus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a boot, having anintegral rubber heel with a main tread surface and a gripping treadsurface adapted to be projected outwardly of the main tread, and aninner elevated portion extending upwardly above the heel towardthe`interior of the boot and adapted to be depressed by the weight ofthe wearer of said boot to project the gripping tread outwardly.

2. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a boot, having a rubberheel made integral with the sole of said boot said heel and sole havingeach a main tread surface, and a gripping tread surfaceadapted to beprojected outwardly of the main tread, and

Van inner elevated portion adapted to be depressed by the weight of thewearer of said boot to project the gripping tread outwardly, and aflexible pad covering said depressible portion. y

3. A new article of manufacture, consisting ofL a boot, having anintegral heel having its inner and outer faces recessed, a'l

compressible projection rising from the inner recess extending` upwardlyabove the heel toward the interior' ofV .the boot, and a gripping treadsurface proj.estable from the outer recess by the Weight of the wearerof above the heel toward the interior of the said boot upon thecompressble projection. boot and adapted to be depressed by the 1o 4.new article of manufacture consstweight of the wearer of said boot toproject ing of a boot having a rubber heel and sole, said grippingtreads outwardly simultanesaid heel and sole having each a main treadously and successively with the walking surface and a gripping treadsurface adaptmovement of the foot. ed to be projected outwardly of themain In testimony whereof I ax my si nature. 15 tread, and a portionextending upwardly WILBER C. BEL AP.

